| Senior Michael Rockett was named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list on Friday. |
LUBBOCK ? Senior All-America center fielder Michael Rockett was named to the Brooks Wallace Award preseason watch list, the College Baseball Foundation announced on Friday. The award is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
Rockett is coming off a junior season that saw him become the first player in school history to earn second-team All-America honors. A Pro-Line Athletic/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) second-team selection, the Sugar Land native also earned third-team accolades from Collegiate Baseball.
He helped lead UTSA to a school-record-tying 39 wins last season and its second consecutive Southland Conference Regular Season Championship. The SLC Player of the Year hit .360 with a school-record 25 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs and 68 RBIs (t-No. 2 UTSA history) last year. Rockett, who earned first-team All-SLC honors after back-to-back second-team accolades his first two campaigns, also scored 60 runs (No. 5 UTSA history), recorded 154 total bases for a .623 slugging percentage and stole nine bases. The 2006 Freshman All-American led the Roadrunners in at-bats (247/t-No. 2 UTSA history), batting average, hits (89/t-No. 2 UTSA history), doubles, triples and total bases in addition to ranking second in multi-hit contests (26), homers, RBIs, multi-RBI games (19), slugging percentage and steals.
One of the top defensive center fielders in the country, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder made several highlight-reel catches in addition to recording a team-high seven outfield assists, all of which resulted in runners being gunned down at the plate.
Rockett was just as productive during the 30-game conference slate, posting a .370 batting average to go along with 31 runs, 14 two-baggers, three triples, five homers, 36 RBIs and five stolen bases.
He was named Louisville Slugger Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week on March 3 after hitting for the second cycle in school history on March 1 against Sacred Heart. Not only did he accomplish the feat in just four innings, but Rockett also had a career-high six RBIs in the 16-2 victory at Wolff Stadium.
The Wallace Award is dedicated to the memory of former Texas Tech player and assistant coach Brooks Wallace. Wallace was a slick-fielding shortstop at Texas Tech from 1977-80. A four-year starter, he was named All-Southwest Conference and All-District his senior year. He led the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament in 1980. After playing two years in the Texas Rangers organization, he returned to Texas Tech and served as a graduate assistant and later as an assistant coach. In the summer of 1984, he was diagnosed with cancer and fought the disease courageously until his death on March 24, 1985, at age 27.
This year's award banquet will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, in the United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University.